Planned Parenthood Sting Videos Lead to Raid of Daleiden's Home

Calif. Agents Search Home Of Man Behind Planned Parenthood Videos.

David Daleiden says the investigators took all of his video footage and other personal information. State Attorney General Kamala Harris could not comment on an ongoing investigation, but had previously announced that she would look into whether Daleiden broke any laws with his sting operation, which has also led to an indictment in Texas. Meanwhile, the National Abortion Federation has attributed a surge in violence and threats directed at abortion clinics to the videos.

The Associated Press: Planned Parenthood Videos Bring Raid, Abortion Activist Says An anti-abortion activist who made undercover videos at Planned Parenthood clinics said in a social media posting that California Department of Justice agents raided his home Tuesday. Agents seized all video footage from his apartment, along with his personal information, David Daleiden said in a Facebook post. Daleiden, the founder of a group called the Center for Medical Progress, said agents left behind documents that he contends implicate Planned Parenthood in illegal behavior related to the handling of fetal tissue. (4/5)

Politico: Investigators Search Home Of Man Behind Planned Parenthood Sting Videos California investigators on Tuesday evening searched the apartment of David Daleiden, the anti-abortion activist behind the series of sting videos released last summer showing Planned Parenthood officials discussing fees for fetal tissue and organs. California Attorney General Kamala Harris said last summer that she would investigate whether Daleiden broke laws in the course of his sting operation, which spurred a huge political battle over Planned Parenthood’s federal funding. Daleiden filmed part of his project in Planned Parenthood clinics in California. (Haberkorn, 4/5)Los Angeles Times: State Attorney General Seizes Videos Behind Planned Parenthood Sting Daleiden characterized Tuesday’s search as “an attack on citizen journalism.” “This is no surprise — Planned Parenthood’s bought-and-paid-for AG has steadfastly refused to enforce the laws against the baby body parts traffickers in our state, or even investigate them,” he said. A spokeswoman for the attorney general said the office cannot comment on the ongoing case. A federal judge has rejected Daleiden’s journalistic claims, noting that the activist and his team used fraudulent tactics, including false identities, and selectively edited the material they captured on tiny cameras disguised as shirt buttons and hidden in water bottles, despite state laws prohibiting secret recording. (St. John, 4/5)The Associated Press: Increase In Threats Reported At US Abortion Clinics Threats and violence directed at U.S. abortion clinics increased sharply in 2015, according to the National Abortion Federation, which attributed the surge to the release of undercover videos intended to discredit Planned Parenthood. “In my more than 20 years with NAF, I have not seen such an escalation of hate speech, threats and calls to action against abortion providers,” said Vicki Saporta, the federation’s CEO. (4/5)Also in the news, Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio get a new CEO, and an abortion procedure ban heads to the governor’s desk in Mississippi —The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio Planned Parenthood Gets New Leader A former academic administrator and business executive was tapped to lead Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio. (Candisky, 4/5)The Associated Press: Mississippi House Sends Abortion Procedure Ban To Governor Mississippi would ban a commonly used second-trimester abortion procedure under a bill headed to Gov. Phil Bryant’s desk. The House voted 85-32 Tuesday to approve Senate changes to the legislation. Gov. Phil Bryant’s spokesman didn’t immediately respond to questions about whether he would sign the bill. Bryant generally opposes abortion. The measure would outlaw a procedure called dilation and evacuation unless an abortion is required to prevent a mother’s irreversible physical impairment. (4/5)

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